Tom Spurgeon

Tom Spurgeon
Tom Spurgeon by Michael Netzer
Born 1968
Nationality American
Area(s) Writer, journalist, historian
Notable works
 The Comics Reporter
Awards Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism, Eisner Award (2010) (2012) (2013)

Thomas Spurgeon[1] (bprn 1968) is an American writer, historian and editor in the field of comics,[2] notable for his five-year run as editor of The Comics Journal and his blog The Comics Reporter.

Career

Spurgeon was editor of The Comics Journal from 1994–1999.[3] Under his tenure, the magazine expanded the scope of its coverage to more regularly include European comics, introducing an English-language readership to the new wave of publishing from France lead by the group of cartoonists centered around L'Association. As well, Spurgeon's Journal was notable for the coverage it gave to burgeoning scenes of American comics makers like the Fort Thunder collective.

After leaving The Comics Journal, Spurgeon wrote the comic strip Wildwood with his childhood friend Dan Wright. The strip, initially launched as Bobo's Progress, was syndicated by King Features from 1999 to 2002 and ran in about 80 newspapers.[4][5][6][7][8]

With Jordan Raphael, Spurgeon co-wrote the biography Stan Lee and the Rise and Fall of the American Comic Book, published in 2003.[9]

In 2004, with site designer Jordan Raphael, Spurgeon launched The Comics Reporter.[3]

Spurgeon co-authored an history of his former employer, Fantagraphics. Written with Jacob Covey, Comics as Art: We Told You So was initially scheduled for release in 2006. However, a defamation lawsuit launched by Harlan Ellison against Fantagraphics, claiming they had defamed him in the book, saw publication delayed.[10] The book was released, with references to Ellison omitted, in 2017.[11][12]

Since 2014, Spurgeon has been the Executive Director of Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, an annual free 4-day celebration of cartooning and graphic novels in Columbus, Ohio.

Personal life

He once described himself as "a big, fat guy", being six feet, three inches tall and weighing about 400 pounds.[13] As of mid-2012, he weighs between 205–218 pounds.[14]

In mid-2011, Spurgeon suffered a life-threatening health crisis that necessitated immediate surgery and placed The Comics Reporter website on hiatus for several weeks (attributed to a "summer vacation").[15][16][17] In an essay reflecting on the ordeal, he discussed the experience, relative to his intimacy with and observations of the comics industry, saying,

At this point in my life I'd prefer to read the complete works of a defunct independent comics company from the 1980s than the fruits of the latest top 100 list. I'm sentimental now, and that's a part of it, but I also think there's something to a form that's constantly slipping out of your grasp, that's broader and deeper and weirder and more intense than even the excellent work that sifts to the top.[18]

Awards

Spurgeon and The Comics Reporter won the Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism in 2010, 2012,[19] and 2013.[20]

References

  1. ↑ Spurgeon, Thomas. "Mickey Mouse." World Book Advanced, World Book, 2018
  2. ↑ O'Brien, Kathleen (August 15, 2005). "Are comics for kids or adults?". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on March 24, 2009. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Comics Reporter Blog Reaches Anniversary". Editor & Publisher. October 10, 2007.
  4. ↑ R. C. Harvey (May 24, 2007). "Jay Kennedy". self-published. Archived from the original on 25 March 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2009. 24 March 2009.
  5. ↑ Cavanaugh, Tim (2002-06-11). "The Online Comics Gap". Online Journalism Review. Archived from the original on 25 March 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2009. 24 March 2009.
  6. ↑ "Artworks to Spotlight Cartoonist and Illustrator Dan Wright". MuncieDowntown.com. November 17, 2008. Archived from the original on 25 March 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2009. 24 March 2009.
  7. ↑ "Comic Strip Takes a Leap of Faith". self. 25 October 2001. Archived from the original on 25 March 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2009. 24 March 2009.
  8. ↑ "Bobo's Progress to Wildwood: Dan Wright and Tom Spurgeon". Sequential Tart. March 2001. Archived from the original on April 21, 2012.
  9. ↑ Meagher, L. D. (October 8, 2003). "Review: Putting Stan Lee in his place". CNN. Archived from the original on 24 March 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2009. 24 March 2009.
  10. ↑ Spurgeon, Tom, and Jacob Covey. Comics as Art: We Told You So. Seattle, Washington: Fantagraphics, 2006. ISBN 978-1-56097-738-4
  11. ↑ "You Boys Play Nice Now". Archived from the original on 2012-07-15. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
  12. ↑ "Comics as Art: We Told You So". Fantagraphics Books. Archived from the original on 25 March 2009. Retrieved 25 March 2009. from the original on 25 March 2009.
  13. ↑ Surgeon, Tom (December 31, 1999). "Comics made Me Fat". The Comics Reporter. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011.
  14. ↑ Spurgeon, Tom (July 19, 2012). "Comics Made Me Somewhat Less Fat". The Comics Reporter.
  15. ↑ "CR On Hiatus". The Comics Reporter. July 17, 2011. Archived from the original on April 21, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Get Well Soon, Tom Spurgeon…". Forbidden Planet. August 15, 2011. Archived from the original on April 21, 2012.
  17. ↑ Collins, Sean T. (August 15, 2012). "'I don't remember the coma': Tom Spurgeon on his life, and near-death, in comics". Robot 6 (column), Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on April 21, 2012.
  18. ↑ "All Of These Things That Have Made Us". The Comics Reporter. August 14, 2011. Archived from the original on April 21, 2012.
  19. ↑ 2010-2012 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Winners, San Diego Comic Con site
  20. ↑ 2013 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Winners Archived 2014-03-13 at WebCite, San Diego Comic Con site
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